Device for opening and closing windows, shutters, and similar appliances



Nov. 23' 1926..

} J. L. STOWERS DEVICE FOR OPENING AND CLOSING WINDOWS,

SHUTTERS, AND SIMILAR APPLIANCES Original Filed July 26. 1924 A TTORNEYS.

Patented Nov. 23, 1926.

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN L. STOWERS, OF HABANA, CUBA.

DEVICE FOR. OPENING AND CLOSING WINDOVJS, SHlITT'IIEIIRS, AND SIMILAR APPLIANCES.

original application filed July 26, 1924, Serial No. 723.514 Divided and th-s application filed September .My invention relates to a mechanism by which windows, shutters, doors, and other similar appliances are opened or closed by the application of the weight of a liquid utilized as the power or force for the opening or closing of such appliances, and upon the automatic removal of such weight said appliances are closed or opened, as the case may be, by force of gravity,

The objects of my device and mechanism are to provide means whereby windows, shutters, doors, and similar appliances, designated in the claims as pivoted closuret, may be closed or opened upon the occurrence of any predetermined condition, or at any predetermined time, as for example, when rain begins to fall, or when rain ceases to fall, and these objects are attained by the automatic use of the weightof the rain either for the opening or the closing of the windows, shutters, doors, etc., when rain begins to fall, and means for automatically removing said weight when rain ceases to fall, thereby permitting said windows, doors, shutters, etc., to be. opened or closed, as the case may be, by the force of gravity.

I- attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Figs. 1 and 2 show atront elevation of a section of roof and wall of a building and the manner in which one form of my invention is applied to windows, shutters, etc.

'Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of a portion of the structure shown in Fig. 1.

Similar letters and numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

In the form of my invention shown in the several figures, the roof, 1, is provided with the usual gutter, 2, for the discharge of rain water falling on the roof, which gutter may be located as desired.

The gutter, 2, has the usual drain leader pipe, 3, leading to a chamber, 15, which chamber is connected with a continuation of the leader pipe, 4:. The chamber, 15, contains the receptacle, 5, into which rain water from the leader, 3, flows. The recepta- .cle, 5, is provided with one or more drip openings, 12, having stop-cocks, 141, for draining the receptacle, 5. The top of the receptacle, 5, and the opening from the gutter to the leader, 3, are covered preferably with screens of metal to prevent the entrance of dirt and refuse.-

Serial No. 57,083.

falls the water flows down the slope of the root, 1, to the gutter, 2,

7 into the leader drain pipe, 3, and to the receptacle, 5, which rapidly fills with water, the surplus water 'tlowing around the receptacle, 5, in the chamber, 15, which surplus water flows away through the continuation of the drain leader pipe, 4.

The weight of the liquid contained in the receptacle, 5, as the receptacle fills, counterbalance and overcomes the inertia of the window or shutter and the weight, 28, and the weight of theliquid in the receptacle, 5, will-cause this receptacle to move downward thereby closing the window or shutter. As

long as the rain continues, the receptacle, 5,

will continue to be filledwith rain water and the window or shutter will; maintain its closed position. hen the rain ceases, water will cease flowing into the receptacle and the receptacle will be emptied through the drip openings, 12. These drip openings, 12, may be one or more and may be arranged of such size and number as to empty the receptacle, 5, in any desired period of time, and the time within which the receptacle, 5, may be emptied may be regulated by the stop-cock, 14, or by the size and number of the drip openings, 12. As soon as the receptacle, 5, is emptied through the drip openings, 12, the counter-weight, 28, will raise the receptacle, 5, which action will cause the window or shutter to open and take the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the movement of the window being attained through the movement of the cord, 21. If and as desired the window or shutter may be secured in either its closed or open position by a positive fastening, as is customary.

The sieve protection for the receptacle, 5, is shown at42 in Fig. 3; Fig. 3 also shows the movable arm, 17, towhich is secured the receptacle, 5, and the cord, 21. The movable arm, 17, takes the position shown in solid lines in Fig. 3, when the window is open and its position in dotted lines when the window is closed.

By connecting the windows which form a perpendicular row with other perpendicular rows of windows by horizontal rod provided with a lever arm tor each perpendicular row and connecting such lever arms with lever arms on the windows by a cord in the manner shown in Figs. 1 and 2, all the windows on one side ot a building may be operated by my mechanism applied to a single perpendicular row of windows.

lVhen the windows are of the style shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and are horizontally pinioned below their center in such manner that normally they will remain open the cord, 21,

may be directly secured to the arms, 29, and

to the receptacle, 5. This obviates the use of the pulley, 27, and the weight, 28.

It is obvious that the opening of the windows may be eli'ected equally advantageously by pinioning the windows above their horizontal center which will cause them normally to remain closed.

In the foregoing description of the operation of my device, I have described rain water as the liquid operating means, but it is obvious that any liquid may be used, and other water than rain water may be employed. For example, my device may be utilized for the opening or closing of windows or shutters, etc., at night or in the morning, or for the operation of fire shutters, and the liquid operating means may be water from a tank on the roof, or from a pump, or any other source 0t supply, and my device put into operation for the closing of such windows or shutters in the even of danger from fire or other cause. It is also obvious that my device may be made operalive tor either opening or closing windows, shutters, doors, etc., at any predetermined time or under any predetermined conditions o't weather, temperature, etc., by applying a liquid or fluid operating medium from a tank, pump, or other source of supply, which may be put into operation by a clock mechanism, thermostat, electric current, electric tuse, or other similar devices.

This application is a divisional application of my application filed July 26, 1924, Serial No. 728,514, which application was for devices for opening and closing windows, shutters and similar appliances.

1 claim:

1.. A device for opening and closing pivoted closures, consisting of a vertically movable liquid-holdino' receptacle installed in an enlargement 01. a drain leader pipe of a building, said receptacle having near its bottom a controlled discharging outlet, said receptacle being secured to one end of a cord the other end of which is secured to a weight after the cord passes over a pulley located above said receptacle, which cord between said receptacle and said weight is secured to pivoted closures.

2. A device for opening and closing pivoted closures consisting of a vertically movable liquid-holding receptacle installed in thedrain leader pipe of a building, said receptacle having near its bottom a controlled discharging outlet, said receptacle being secured to one end of a cord which passes over pulley located above said receptacle and thence to a counterweight secured to its'other end, said cord being secured between said receptacle and said counterweight to pivoted closures.

JOHN L. STOWERS. 

